There is nothing in the world of food preparation more distant from delicate dishes than steaming mussels, believe me. It is more horrific that steaming clams or lobsters by a long shot. Mussels have one of the strongest tastes in the food world. No table wine will stand up to the process. If you don't want to find even a trace of your good wine in the broth, then go ahead and use it. Otherwise use the dry vermouth.

Steam 'em in beer, serve 'em with a tomato based salsa with a hint of mild chilli peppers.

Drink a Aussie Shiraz while eatin' 'em.

Tastes good to me.

Kinda have to agree with IK. There is nothing delicate about mussels. However I have found that source can make a difference in how strong the mussels taste. Seems the ones from New Zealand are the mildest and the ones from the East Coast USA are the harshest in flavor. They are what they eat.

We hand pick mussels from the Assawoman Bay in Ocean City, Maryland and they are very strong in flavor. Very strong grassy and herbal notes! We pair them with a nice Sancere or SB with similar notes and they're GREAT!

Some people can be taught and some cannot: Bucko, you cannot produce wine from rhubarb. Words have meanings--I've told you that before. Now go put on your pointed cap, sit in the corner and repeat a thousand times, "only grapes can be made into wine..."

Calling fermented rhubarb wine is like calling ampicillin penicillin--I know I must have mispelled those two...

Foodie, did you ever have a chance to taste the late, lamented Paul Thomas Rhubarb Rose? It was declared "Grand Champion White Zinfandel" at many a tasting in the eighties. And, the Dry Bartlett Pear from the same winery was the BEST wine for spicy seafood ever: an organic chemist friend of mine says that pears contain a component lacking in grapes that nuetralizes capicin (spelling?) the active ingredient in hot peppers. We used to sell it in New Orleans like gangbusters...

Roberto

PS: I agree with you re termonology but that stuff was GOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!